Amazon has released an updated version of the 2.5 update, according to the
Kindle Software Updates
page this morning, although there is still no link for a manual download:
We know Kindle customers are anxious to receive the 2.5 software update, so we wanted to provide you with some details about its status. We've rolled out the 2.5 software release to a set of Kindle customers and have received great feedback from these early customers. Based on this feedback, we are making some small adjustments to improve the experience further. We will be rolling out the 2.5 software update to more users over the coming weeks.
Hmmmm... Does that mean that those of us who received 2.5 earlier have a less than desirable update and need to install this one also? Or is this really a 2.5.1 update? Is more "testing" and tweaking is in store for this update, since there is no download link for those not on Whispernet (releasing that would greatly decrease bandwidth usage, so you would think that Amazon would post it as soon as feasible).
My DX updated itself a couple of weeks ago and I did play with collections quite a bit, sorting a number of books and personal docs into categories to reduce the clutter on my home page. Besides being slow and tedious, one big problem is that I don't have a copy of every one of my books on that Kindle and don't want to download them all there, as it would use up another license (since I read mostly on my original Kindle). What I really want is the ability to update my collections on the My Kindle web page.
Here's a list of the enhancements in this update:
- Collections: Organize your books and documents into one or more collections.
- PDF Pan and Zoom: Zoom into PDFs and pan around to easily view small print and detailed tables or graphics.
- Password Protection: Password protect your Kindle when you're not using it.
- More Fonts & Improved Clarity: Enjoy two new larger font sizes and sharper fonts for an even more comfortable reading experience.
- Facebook & Twitter Posts: Share book passages with friends on Facebook and Twitter directly from your Kindle.
- Popular Highlights: See what the Kindle community thinks are the most interesting passages in the books you're reading.
Of these, I've only played with collections. I'll probably add a password, though (but not one with numbers, as they are too hard to input on the DX: are you listening Amazon? Give us back a dedicated row of number keys!). I also look forward to using the PDF enhancements, but suspect they'll be fairly slow, due to the nature of eInk. It's a nice option, though, for those PDF's with tables or graphics that are too small to read, even in landscape mode on the DX.
The bigger fonts don't interest me much (and I wonder if you get more than a couple of words on a page if you use them on a K2) and neither does the Facebook or Twitter integration (I can see it being slightly useful for bookclubs, though, if you set up a separate account for those). Popular Highlights, are just annoying and I had to turn them off first thing -- too bad they can't be turned off on the web page where you manage your own notes, as I now can't find my own notes for all the noise, rendering the info there practically useless; even worse is the ever-annoying "Daily Refresh" that is now the default landing site when I log in. (Want to make this useful, Amazon? Add the ability to flag a book for inclusion in the Daily Refresh View, so it will remind me of the books I want to be reminded of, not just those that have a note added.)
Winter's Passage ($2.39 Kindle), by Julie Kagawa, is free from Barnes and Noble and direct from Harlequin, in multiple formats, but all with DRM and not Kindle compatible. Rumor has it that this will be free in the Kindle store as well, but I've been watching it for several days now and it hasn't dropped, despite being free elsewhere. This is an eBook only release in her Iron Fey series and is targeted at the young adult/older teen market.
